


I Won't Let You Fall

by River_Lily



Category: Book of Life (2014)
Genre: Angst, Friends to Lovers, Joaquin is So Sad, Lots of Angst, Multi, Polyamory, Slow Burn, This is going to be really long im sorry, Very Sad Joaquin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-25
Updated: 2015-02-25
Packaged: 2018-03-15 05:09:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3434738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/River_Lily/pseuds/River_Lily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"And the world keeps spinning… And the tales keep turning… And people come, and people go… But they are never forgotten. And the one truth we know, it held true one more time… That love, true love… The really, really good kind of love… Never dies." - La Muerte<br/>But what if the true love Manolo and Maria are looking for, isn't complete without Joaquin?<br/>But what if Joaquin is convinced Manolo and Maria are better off without him in San Angel?</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Won't Let You Fall

                _“Look there my love. Classic mortal dilemma. Two boys. Best friends, no less. In love with the same girl,”_

_“I believe we have our wager. Which boy will marry her?”_

_And, so, the greatest wager in history began. Manolo versus Joaquin for the hand of Maria._

_And the world keeps spinning… And the tales keep turning… And people come, and people go… But they are never forgotten. And the one truth we know, it held true one more time… That love, true love… The really, really good kind of love… Never dies._

\-----

                Oh, my sweet child, this is not the end, so please – do not cry!

\-----

                “There is one more thing we need to do… Son,” General Posada’s voice was filled with pride and thick with tears. The combination of emotion forced Joaquin to turn away from the display. Clutching at his chest, as if that could stop the ache at seeing the look Maria and Manolo were giving each other, he needed a moment to compose himself. Seeing his best friend and the love of his life, together and alive, they were so happy… It was easy to ignore the dull ache of his own heart in light for their joy but… No. It would do no good to soil his time here with his best friends with his own heartache. There would be another time for his tears, another time to face what he’s lost.

                Turning back to the couple, he was almost blinded with their radiance and joy. They truly belonged together. Joaquin ignored his feelings and plastered on his most convincing smile for them. He would be their best and most supportive friend, he would not let them be brought down by him any longer. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them.

                Soon, Maria and Manolo were dragged off to prepare for their wedding, and Joaquin was left alone with himself, to return to his cold, and unused house to dress for what was said to be a grand affair. He thought back to how just hours before it was he who was going to marry Maria, but it was lifeless and mechanical. He could hear music and laughter in the crumbling streets and it warmed his fracturing heart. “The true heroes of San Angel,” Joaquin murmured to himself.

                He combed his mustache to perfection, knowing no one was going to be looking at him, or anyone other than Manolo or Maria, but he wanted to look his best for them. He wanted to be his best, but he felt as if that was impossible now. He’d lost more than just his eye on that battlefield, it would just take a while for his beloved friends to see it.

                “You’ve done so well, Joaquin,” La Muerte’s sweet voice came from behind him, “You’ve given up so much,” There was a sad knowledge in her voice that tore at Joaquin. He didn’t know how to answer her, so he didn’t try. He just nodded his head with a helpless sort of look on his face. He turned around to ask what she was doing here, but there was a soft breeze from the open window of his bedroom and she was gone. The only thing that told Joaquin he hadn’t dreamt the whole situation was the feeling of her cold hand over his eye – and the loss of the pain from it.

                Tearing off the white bandage, he really would have to get a proper eye patch for the ceremony, he saw that she had healed his eye – what was left to heal. It ate at him, the loss of his eye, more than he would let Manny or Maria know. Breaking down, he sobbed from his one good eye at the loss of the loves – love – of his life, and of the promise of family. He would never have that again.

                Getting a hold of himself, he knew it was for the better. It would be selfish of him to still want Maria when she was so happy with Manolo, and he had learned today that to be a true hero he must be selfless. He would do everything he could to ensure the happiness of his best friends before he left to finish off the rest of the bandits.

                That included not being late to their wedding!

\-----

                The celebration after was the most festive and lively affair, it effectively put Joaquin’s mind off of his troubles for a while. He was no longer as coordinated – he needed to get used to only having one eye, and it still throbbed despite the kindness that La Muerte had taken upon him. The Adelita cousins were hilarious, aggressive in both fighting and flirting, and he found them wonderful company. Using one on either arm, he managed to find a successful rhythm in dancing, and because they never stopped talking, Joaquin was never at a moment where he had to think about anything other than, “Do these boots look better on me than Scardelita?” It was a reprieve he relished in.

                Joaquin’s heart wrenched when he started to sing to Maria. His voice had always captivated him – and anyone else who cared to listen. Joaquin was glad Manolo was free to pursue his dream now. He was truly free of the shadow of the Sanchez family. It brought a bittersweet smile to Joaquin’s face, but it was replaced by a genuine one as he tripped over one of the Adelita twins and was brought back to the present.

                He managed to hide his surprise well, but everyone still treated him as if he was the unbeatable hero as before. Women piled up to be lifted into the air by him – he never quite understood the appeal of being power lifted but he enjoyed how happy it made others, so he obliged their strange requests. Joaquin danced, clumsy on his feet, as he was never a good dancer but now he was unsure about really much of anything.

                He watched Maria and Manolo, how happy and in love they were, and Joaquin was glad he was able to forget his selfishness for one night, at least. “You’re a good man, Joaquin,” Carmen Sanchez placed her skeletal hand on his shoulder, watching the newlyweds as well, “You’ve grown so much!” She pulled him down for a hug. He had always loved Senora Sanchez, though she had died when he was very little so he had few memories of her. When Manolo would talk of her, she sounded like the most wonderful and caring woman in the world. Seeing her again now, Joaquin could affirm that this was true.

                “Thank you,” She turned black, teary eyes up to him, “For taking care of them,” Joaquin looked away at those heartfelt words. He appreciated them, but they were untrue.

“Maria and Manolo…” He murmured, so only Senora Sanchez could hear, “Are the true heroes of this town…” Carmen frowned at that, and looked as if she was going to argue some more with him, but he was saved as an Adelita twin landed on his back, laughing.

“Hey, lover boy! Come daaaaance with us!” She giggled, tugging with a surprising amount of strength on his arm. Joaquin flashed a sheepish smile at Senora Sanchez and followed the very insistent woman off towards the fire and uproars and laughter and music. Joaquin didn’t want to think about this right now, this was a celebration, this was his best friends’ wedding celebration no less.

\-----

The night went by in a blur of firelight, laughter, and music. It took some trial and error, but Joaquin managed so that he looked like he was back to his normal, average dancing, but mostly it was the distraction of the flailing Adelitas, who apparently were too busy fighting to actually learn to properly dance. They were aggressive, and Joaquin was thoroughly distracted by them, trying to keep them contained enough to not injure anyone further, so that he never even noticed how close he was to bumping into Maria and Manolo.

“Oof!” “Lo siento!” “Joaquin!” “I’m sorry!”

All of this was intermingled with laughter, and five bumping bodies, and too many hands trying to steady each other. When everyone was straightened, Joaquin burst into more laughter, tears rolling down his good eye. Manolo’s hair was a wreck. “You might wanna get that checked out, primo,” Scardelita chuckled, hanging off of Joaquin’s arm. There was a funny look in Manolo’s eyes, caught somewhere between amusement and frustration, as if he didn’t want to be amused, or he didn’t want to be frustrated. The complicated emotion confused Joaquin and he figured he was looking too far into things, as the look was gone and replaced with his usual grin and laughter moments later.

Maria was watching the whole interaction from slightly off to the side, but decided to step in with a small smirk, “Your mustache hasn’t escaped unscathed, either, Joaquin,” to which Manolo laughed and grabbed his side.

“Ow, ow, ow, that hurts,” He cried, dramatics kicking in and Joaquin looked absolutely devastated. He desperately patted at his face, but was without mirror or comb.

“Really? Is it bad? Should I leave? I’ll come back of course, but I-“ His tirade was cut off by each of the Adelitas grabbing one side of his face and pulling him almost uncomfortably close. They each pulled a comb from seemingly out of nowhere – that’s underworld magic for you – and giggling as they fixed it for him. Joaquin instantly turned as red as a tomato and started stuttering. “So much for the suave hero,” he thought to himself.

Pushing him away almost abruptly, the twins admired their handiwork before winking (Joaquin assumed Scardelita was winking), patting his chest, and saying, “He’s all yours, now, primo,” Before attacking Pepe in what could only be described as their own way of “asking” for a dance. Joaquin was left blushing, and opening and closing his mouth as if he was fish.

“I…” Joaquin paused, unsure where he was going with that sentence, looking helplessly at the space where the twins had previously been, “am really going to miss those two,” He laughed then, patting his now perfect mustache, affection for them welling up inside them. Turning to his two best friends, he was startled by the looks on their faces, but could easily guess where they were coming from.

“Don’t worry, brother,” Joaquin laughed, clapping Manolo on the shoulder, “I wouldn’t go after your cousins, that would be breaking an honor code – and I’m all about honor,” He winked at Maria, who just rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Joaquin frowned then. He could never seem to get it right with either of them. He should probably go.

Joaquin made to leave, grinning that fake-hero’s grin he had so perfectly crafted over the years, but Manolo rolled his eyes too and put a hand on his shoulder. “Come on, brother, let’s show Mexico how to dance!” Ignoring the odd twinge in his chest at the happy looks he was now receiving for both Maria and Manolo, he grinned and grabbed both their hands, pulling them close to the fire.

They danced wonderfully together, Maria and Manolo making up for Joaquin’s clumsiness, nor did they seem to mind, and the past few days seemed to melt away from everyone. Joaquin didn’t know a moment when he, not the other two, weren’t laughing or grinning from ear to ear. A little voice in the back of Joaquin’s head said this was how it was always supposed to be, but he ignored it, because it was selfish of him, and he was through with being selfish. He had learned a lot these past few days, and he would make sure to never make the same mistakes again.

“Manolo,” Carlos and Carmen’s voice broke through the trio’s happy haze. Manolo broke off from the two to walk toward his family, his whole family who had gathered together – La Muerte, Xibala, and the Candlemaker standing behind them. No words were spoken, because none were needed, as they all embraced as dawn flooded the celebration and Manolo’s entire family started to fade. It broke Joaquin’s heart, and he had to turn away from the display. He’d never really had family, had always had the promise of family, but never experienced the real thing.

“Oy, lover boy, get over here!” The Adelita twins were grinning, and even though he had only known them for a short time, he knew he would miss them dearly. They were so aggressive in their affection, pure and sister-like, that it was if they were his own sisters. Hugging them goodbye, he turned and looked at La Muerte. She smiled this sad, little smile that told him more than words ever could that she knew, and she understood. He touched his eye patch – where his eye used to be – and bowed his head at her.

Manolo had picked up his guitar, and with Maria behind him and hugging his shoulders, he played one last song for his family.

\-----

Returning to Casa Mondragon was difficult to say the least. It wasn’t just the cold and empty house he had to return to, it was the thoughts he had left behind to celebrate his friends. They had all lost so much, it would’ve been unfair of Joaquin to act the melodramatic hero during his best friends’ wedding. He knew now, seeing the town, seeing Maria, and seeing Manolo, that it wasn’t right of Joaquin to manipulate Maria into marrying Joaquin like he did. It was selfish, but he so wanted to believe that she loved him – even just a little.

He was happy for his friends, he was so, so happy. Seeing Maria lifeless in Manolo’s arms, and saying those things that he said to Manolo, and then seeing Manolo, cold and dead on the ground. He was supposed to have been the town hero but he couldn’t protect the people he loved most when they needed him. He failed them. He couldn’t even beat Chakal on his own. He was nothing without his medal, he didn’t even have both eyes!

Joaquin slid to the ground in front of the floor length mirror in his master bedroom, tears streaming down his face and sobs wracking his body. How could everyone just pretend that he was the legendary hero, when all he was, was what the medal gave him? Maria, Manolo, and the town deserved better.

He would just have to be better! He knew what he’d done wrong in the past, and now he had the chance to rectify it. He would go after the rest of the banditos, and he would prove that he was more than the medal made him into, he would prove to be worthy of his friends and of San Angel. He would be a better friend, too. Tomorrow, they would be working on the rebuilding of the town, and Joaquin would make sure to do everything he could to help. He would be better.

\-----

 

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry this is so angsty, it gets so much better - I promise! I had to establish Joaquin's problems in this chapter to move on with the story, otherwise there would be little to no development, so please bear with me! I'm lazyriverlily on tumblr if anyone has any questions! :)


End file.
